Switchboard.



PATENTED DEG. 8K, 1903.

J, -B. WOUD.

SWITCHBOARD.

APPLIOATION FILED 00T.16,19o2.

N0 MODEL.

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UNITED STATES Patented DecemberS, 1G03. PATENT Grieco.

JAMES BUCHANNAN i/VOOD, 'OF GATE CITY, VIRGiNA, ASSIGNQR 0F TWO- yTHIRDSTO'JOHN E. SMITH AND GEORGE L. DAGHERTY, OF GATE CITY, i

VIRGINIA.

swiToHeoARo.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 746,624, dated December8, 1903.

Application iiled October 16, 1902. Serial No. 127,586. (No model.)

To all whom, t 1v1/ay concern:

Beit known that I, JAMEsBUoHANNAN NVOOD, a citizen of'the United States,resid ing at Gate City, in the county of Scott and 5 State of Virginia,have invented certain new" and useful Improvements in Swiichboards, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in telephone-switchboards, and hasfor itsobject Io the provision of a simple and convenient device for usein small towns and outiying dis-` board mechanism with a diagrammaticrep-- reseutation of bells in circuit. Fig. 2 is a reverse view of Fig.1,showing the back of f the switchboardand connections. Fig. 3 is avvertical section of the improved switchboard.

zo Referring to the figures of drawings, the box or casing is designatedby the numeral i, said casing'having a ledge 2 on the top back portionthereof. The Wires 3 from the main line of the system of telephones areconnected to the switchboard atbindingposts 4 and are each joined toseparate pairs of parallel. bars 5 through the screws it and wires Libtherefrom on the under side of the ledge. The bars 5 are of any suitableconducting 3o material and may be of any. size or shape desirable, beingshown in this instance as round.

metallic bars and arranged in pairs, as cleariy ser forth in thedrawings. Each pair of bars 5 is in reality one piece, having a.returnbend at one end and extending across the box,

near the top thereof.

Located on the upper surface of the bottom of the box or casing areanumbei of metallic buttons or contact-points arranged in pre- 40determined series. In practical use I may employ as many series asdesired; ont for convenience of illustration I show only four series inthis'instance. Each contact-button has connection through the thicknessof the bottom of the box or casing to a bar or Wire common to eachbutton in that series. Referring tothe upper row or seriesoi:` buttons,(indicated as 6,) it will be seen by reference to Fig. 2 that thisseries has a shorter or 5o disjointed series 6', consisting of twobuttons only. Wires, as 61 6V, leading from each series, respectiveiv,have a hell connecting them, forming a circuit. Another Wire, 6, lendsfrom the series 6 and has connection to aoeii, frein-'whence theconnection isground- 55; cnes shown.- The second and third series' ofbuttons i designate as 6 and 6b. The connection 4of .these series ci'buttons is plainiy shownin the drawings. The lowerseries krow-ofcontactpoints or buttons is used only so when necessary to ground 'thesystem of telephoneswsnch, for instance, during an electricai storm-aswill hehereinaiterexplained- For making the renuired contact and connpieting the connection tnroughout'anydesired 6 e circuit I provide asiidinw contact-niece ti l.

novel construction. Said piece consists o a body portion 7, or"i'iattened material, enhn stantiaiiy es shown, resting upon tive of thepsrailei bars 5. The sides o the hody por 7o tion are turned under andneatly it over the saidparallel oars and in frictional contacttherewith, but ioose enough io admit o a slidingmotion thereon.Aatinetailic springleat 8 is attached to the under side of the 75 bodyportion 'I of the contact-piece and by its own resiiiency keeps incontact with one ci g the buttons or contact-points beneath it whenmoved into Isuch position that the spri n n-leaf comes in contact withthe contact point or 8o button bya push or pull on asnitahie handle9,ii1us compieting connection betweeua pair of bars 5 and a cotton orcontact-point in one of the series. 1

in Fig. l two pieces 7* are shown in circuit, 85 thus connecting twotelephones at the ends of the respective main lines 3, controlled ny twosubscribers. The circuit is completed from the main lines 3 through hars5, contact-pieces 7K, leaf-springs fand contact points or linttonsthrough to points YYV'ZY. As Wili ce seen from an inspection ofthe'drawings, one point ZY in Fig. 2 is disconnected from the series6i", but is connected to botten or contnctpoint 6 at point GK. Thisconnection between YY and o5 6X is 'for grounding the iineswhen twoparty-V iiues are to he connected threugh'the hoard, and one end oi theiine may be Ain use whiie the other is grounded.

The numeral l1 indicates a nsual ground roo wire.

Should it be desired to ground the entire or board proper,

bindingposts,

-necting the system, because oi' the presence of an electrical stormorfor some other reason, all the sliding contact-pieces are moved to aposition over the lower series 6c, so that the springleaves 8 of eachcontact-piece will be in frictional contact with the button orcontactpoint directly beneath it, and should a current enter themetallic connection said current will pass to the ground through themedium of ground-wire 10.

From the above description, taken in connection with the drawings, thefollowing-described ope-ration will be obvious: Should a subscriber on apartyline-say 7x to the right in Fig. I desire to call lup anothersubscriber-say ''x to the' left in Fig. l-the callbell is rung in theusual manner. The operator at the switchboard slides the contactpiece 7into contact with contact point or button 6d He then moves 7x piece(right, Fig. l) to position over point 7Y, Fig.v2, thus makingcommunication between piece 7and said piece 7"z through points 7y and6X, Fig. 2.` The operator'then mov'es 'the left contact-piece 7x toposition shown in Fig. 1 over` point7y, (to the right in Fig 2,) thusestablishing communication between the three points of contactpiece 7(dotted lines, Fig. l) and the two contact-pieces 7X and completing thecircuit between the two subscribers through the con` nections from theparty-lines hereinbefore described.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A switchboard composed of a casingor board proper, a series ofbinding-posts mounted in the board, line-wires connected to said aseries of contact-bars arranged in the board and connected to thebinding-posts, contact-points adjacent to said bars, ground connectionsand contact-plates, said contact plates having each a pair of sleevessliding on the bars and having projections for engaging thecontact-points.

2. A switchboard composed of the casing a series of contact-pointsarranged in series in said casing, means for consaid points, groundconnections,

in the manner provided with a spring a series ot' parallel contact-barsadjacent to the contact-points, line and bell connections with thecontact-bars and a series of sliding contacts consisting each of acrosspiece and a pail` or" sleeves mounted on the bars and adapted tomake connection through the contact-points.

3. A switchboard mechanism consisting of: series of parallel bars, eachbar made from a single wire to form two parallel strands, series ofcontact-points located .in predetermined relation thereto, andcontact-pieces frictionally movable on said .bars and disposed so as tomake contact with diiercnt contact-points in the path of movement ofsaid contact-piece, said contact-pieces each consisting of a handle, abody portion and sleeves fitting and movable on the bars.

4. A switchboard mechanism consistingof a series of parallel bars inpairs, said bars being each made oi a single wire to form a pair ofparallel strands, contact-points arranged in series as described, and asliding contactpiece on each pair ofbars, said contact-piece projectionfor making contact with any one of the contact-points located in thepath oi movement of said movable contact-piece, said contact-pieces cachconsisting of a handle, a body portion and sleeves fitting. and movable'on the hars.

5. in a switchboard, a series of cross-bars, movable contact-piecesthereon each having a frictional contact device, and a series ofcontact-points arranged in predetermined position on the switchboard, agroundingwire connected to said contact-poii1ts,whereby, when saidcontact-pieces are moved to position to connect with said'contact-points, the entire system will be grounded, said contact-pieceseach consisting of a handle, a body portion and sleeves fitting andmovable on thebars.

in testimony whereof I aihx in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES BUCHANNAN WOOD.

Witnesses:

JAMES T. MoCoNNnLL, Josu C. Werra.

